Cybersecurity major looking for college suggestions where it's "not cold" [AZ resident, 3.64 GPA, 1170 SAT, <$30k]

College Search & Lists
22

Per se, ABET accreditation is not that important for CS, although it does set a reasonable minimum standard. It is the case that many non-ABET-accredited CS majors meet or exceed such a reasonable minimum standard (e.g. CMU, Stanford, UCB), although there are some that do not, due to limited upper level offerings or content.

The main place where I have seen an ABET accreditation preference for CS is the patent exam prerequisites, although an alternative path is allowed for CS graduates. That alternative path does require non-CS science course work.

1 Like
23

Make sure she’s got a couple of backup interests that are possible at any college she’s looking for. I think you’re trying to thread a pretty small needle here- not just academically but professionally- if she doesn’t want CS (for what is fundamentally a CS sub-discipline), doesn’t want to take chem or physics (two of the three fundamental building blocks of science) and only wants warm weather.

Not saying she won’t find it. But she needs to find it, get accepted, make sure it’s within budget and THEN complete the major and find a job. Many (not all) of the cool sounding cyber jobs really and truly are baked into CS and will assume a high level of math and science foundation.

It’s a terrific field, but make sure it is what she thinks it is… It’s an academic discipline that really didn’t exist 15 years ago, even though there were lots of people employed, actually doing it. How? Because they were trained as computer scientists or mathematicians. And the rest was on the job…

3 Likes
24

Here is the curriculum at ABET accredited and budget achieving before merit Central Arkansas (where Scottie Pippen, the former Chicago Bull went). It’s 30 minutes or so from Little Rock.

I don’t see Chem or Physics - but maybe I’m missing…

I do agree the needle is thread but here’s one that works based on the requirements…and hopefully curriculum wise this explains a lot.

Microsoft Word - Requirements for Cybersecurity

1 Like
25

Note that cybersecurity is a different major for ABET accreditation compared to computer science. Curriculum criteria can be compared at Criteria for Accrediting Computing Programs, 2024 - 2025 - ABET (III. Program Criteria).

The Central Arkansas major does have a more technical flavor than some more business based majors, so it may satisfy a desire for a more technical curriculum, but without the non-CS science requirements.

There are about 30-40 ABET-accredited cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs.

1 Like
26

Including Central Arkansas

Here’s the list for OP - WVU (too North) could potentially hit $30K.

Radford and E TN might - I’d have to look - but with U of A, would you really consider regional publics?

Kansas State hits the mark and has a ton of fans on here and in Princeton Review - if it wasn’t in the middle of nowhere, it really seems a great, warm feeling school. And it uses the weighted GPA to get you easily under $30K.

School Name City State
The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Alabama
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott Prescott Arizona
The University of Central Arkansas Conway Arkansas
United States Air Force Academy USAFA Colorado
United States Coast Guard Academy New London Connecticut
Florida International University Miami Florida
University of West Florida Pensacola Florida
University of South Florida Tampa Florida
Purdue University Global West Lafayette Indiana
Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas
United States Naval Academy Annapolis Maryland
Anne Arundel Community College Arnold Maryland
Bowie State University Bowie Maryland
Capitol Technology University Laurel Maryland
Towson University Towson Maryland
Ferris State University Big Rapids Michigan
Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti Michigan
Southwest Baptist University Bolivar Missouri
Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau Missouri
Fontbonne University Saint Louis Missouri
University of Central Missouri Warrensburg Missouri
St. John’s University Queens New York
United States Military Academy West Point New York
Cedarville University Cedarville Ohio
University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio
Portland Community College Portland Oregon
Gannon University Erie Pennsylvania
Robert Morris University Moon Township Pennsylvania
Charleston Southern University North Charleston South Carolina
East Tennessee State University Johnson City Tennessee
Brigham Young University Provo Utah
Laurel Ridge Community College Middletown Virginia
Radford University Radford Virginia
Regent University Virginia Beach Virginia
West Virginia University Morgantown West Virginia
2 Likes
27

I teach APCSA in Texas public school. UTSA is very popular among our students. our former students currently attending there have been giving us positive reviews. Some other popular schools (for students considering CS or cyber major) are TAMU San Antonio and Texas Tech, both low cost (for in-state students).

3 Likes
28

Has a Life & Physical Science requirement - but not necessarily Chem. My kid took Geology in summer at a JC and then UTK.

It’s in IT, not CS - not sure if it matters. It’s about $37K tuition, room and board. But if you get merit and right now you get $1K, then you also get in state tuition - or as they note: If you are a non-resident awarded a Presidential Scholarship, you will also qualify to pay in-state tuition.

So it could be an option. And if you are in Phoenix - Southwest flies to Lubbock!!! I think it’d be more residential than UTSA.

Great find for OP - if they’re interested!!

Information Technology: Cyber Security Concentration, B.B.A. - Texas Tech University - Modern Campus Catalog™

Incoming Freshmen Scholarships | Scholarships | TTU

2 Likes
29

With the caveat that cybersecurity is not a subject I know much about - this makes it sound like she is more interested in this major as it relates to intelligence or international relations, rather than say working for a company in securing their systems? That could change what you’re looking for.

One course mate in my postgrad IR degree has gone on to specialize in cybersecurity from a national intelligence perspective, but he was also a career Marine for a long time which I think is what helped open some doors for him.

2 Likes
30

I’m hoping that we might be able to tag on an extra couple of days to our October college visits to tour UTSA.

1 Like
31

Another unsolicited advice I’d like to add is that, while having preferences is good, but if your preferences are limiting your options, you must be open to reconsider them. There’s a difference between preferences and genuine constraints.
Being a bit open to explore a bit wider, will help not just in college, but career growth as well.
As for the budget limit, I understand the well quoted cliche to graduate debt free.
But let me tell you, an investment in a good career focused degree will pay you many times over; don’t be penny wise and pound foolish to drop a great college/major just because it costs let’s say, a 10k/year more.
It’s all a game of ROI over a career that will span decades.

2 Likes
32

Understood and I appreciate the food for thought. :slight_smile:

D26 might be willing to do a $5500/yr fed student loan. We, her parents, are not willing to take on Parent PLUS loans. And we are not recommending our kid take on private loans. We are making an investment. We’re spending $120,000 on her college education. :wink:

There’s no magical fairy that will come up with another $10k-$60k/yr out of thin air. There’s no grandparents with big nest eggs that they’re going to give to our kid. And we aren’t going to win the lottery either. :smiley:

D26 has said the ‘not too cold’ thing is a must have, so a place like St Olaf (I picked a random ‘cold’ school out of thin air, has nothing to do w/the requested major) isn’t going on the list. And if a program requires physics, it’s not going on the list at all. Period.

I appreciate everybody’s feedback so far! Learned of some colleges that we didn’t think of before to look at. :slight_smile:

2 Likes
33

Well, my best wishes to your kid. I’m sure she’d flourish wherever she ends up.
I understand there isn’t going to be a magical fairy dropping money. I meant parent savings/student loans if needed—but you’ve got it all figured.
The intention of my post was to make sure you know the value of a good Comp Sci degree, and how in just a few years after graduating, smart kids may be easily topping 200K+ annual salaries; at that time a private loan of a hundred grand may not sting, but earning 75k annually 5 years after graduating debt free will; many people don’t realize this—clearly not the case for you folks.

1 Like
34

We have reasons for not being able or willing to take on an extra $100,000 of parent PLUS loans for our youngest kid to attend college. And reasons for advising our kid to not take on $100k of student loans for her undergrad education.

The budget is $30k/year. Not $55k/yr. Maybe some families can swing that, but we’re not in that boat.

However, if one wanted to suggest some $55k/yr tuition+room+board colleges for a cybersecurity major (after merit awards), please include them here. Maybe it might help other folks who might stumble across this thread down the road! :slight_smile:

I’m including this additional personal detail below because it has now become relevant, since it’s been mentioned a couple of times now to increase our budget per year…

We already have 1 kid in college (a freshman this year). So for the 1st 2 yr that D26 is in college, we’ll have 2 to pay for. On top of that, thanks to the changes in how federal financial aid is calculated, nobody gets changes noted on their expected family contribution now if you have >1 kid in college. So it’s actually going to be $60k/yr for 2 yr in a row that we’ll be shelling out. And that is pretty painful for us.

My DH, growing up, didn’t have much money. Parents divorced and his father spent time in prison. He, his sibling, & his mom struggled a lot financially. He had to hustle in order to get through college. And for 16 of our older kid’s 18 years of life, we paid out a lot of $$ to help my MIL out with her living expenses…money that in an ideal world, we would have been setting aside to be able to afford $55k/yr for each kid’s college expenses.

The fact that we’re going to be able to swing $60k/yr while both of our kids are in college at the same time is, in my opinion, pretty stinking fantastic.

If we could NOT afford that, then we’d probably be having D26 go to community college and then transfer somewhere.

As it is, with all of her AP scores, there’s good odds that she could end up at a college where her AP scores will shave off a year’s worth of class. And then guess what? Maybe we could help her out with some of a year’s worth of grad school tuition.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming. :grinning:

On a side note - thank you to the person who mentioned Texas Tech. We’ll go take a look! Am also wondering if maybe UNLV has something in the cybersecurity realm. I can’t remember if they do or not. Will go spelunking on their website. :slight_smile:

3 Likes
35

It most definitely doesn’t meet the weather requirement, but Grand Valley State in Michigan has a B.S. in cybersecurity and would be under $30k. Definitely winter and cold though. No chemistry on the list of classes. If she changes her mind on the weather, take a look.

2 Likes
36

Be careful with this assumption, since AP scores do not always give useful subject credit, or the degree program may have sequences of prerequisites that could impose a minimum number of semesters even with every possible AP 5 score. There may also be courses offered only once per year (or once every two years), so that even a student who is advanced in terms of credit units/hours may need to wait for the needed courses to be offered rather than being able to graduate early.

1 Like
37

Have you looked at this thread yet? There are probably a lot of appropriate suggestions there. Colleges with Admit Rates of 60-100%: Schools You’ve Liked and Why (NO REPLIES)

1 Like
38

Could you clarify the student’s order of preference between the following types of programs, with the provision of not requiring non-CS science?

  • General computer science with security-related electives.
  • Cybersecurity that is more technical / CS-based.
  • Cybersecurity that is less technical / more business (MIS/IT/CIS) based.
  • General business-based MIS/IT/CIS.

Note that it is common for general education requirements to include science, but allowing “physics for poets” and similar courses to fulfill them. Would that be acceptable to the student?

2 Likes
39

I completely empathize with you. I just meant to give a different perspective not knowing your personal family situation; I’m hoping you didn’t take it in a negative way, I only had your kid’s best interests in mind.
I wouldn’t splurge on a Cybersecurity major, even if I could afford to.
I just meant to say (and I know I’m being repetitive):

  1. Someone interested in studying Cybersecurity from a technical side, should ideally consider a Comp Sci major - I’m telling this from a lot of experience in this industry; have seen far too many talented engineers suffer low pay, job insecurities, stunted career growth, since they decided to go too niche too soon.
  2. For those who can afford it, a Comp Sci degree from a reputable school will pay for itself sooner than one can imagine.

I won’t bother you anymore. All the best.

1 Like
40

and sometimes taking those credits bites you in the rear end later. Someone may pass you out of a class but having a 3 in computer science principles is likely not a credit you’d want to take, even if offered. Some of the gen eds would be great though.

41

Something to watch out for is if the college charges higher tuition for upper level students. My friend’s son is at Michigan and had a good number of AP credits. He hit >54 credits at the end of his first year, which put him into upper level costs and engineering is an additional $6k/year! And because of sequencing, it doesn’t save him any semesters. It does give him lighter semesters. So he has 3 years of the higher tution rate.

6 Likes